Modulated filamentary conduction of Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires to impart extremely sustained resistance switching behavior in a flexible composite

Abstract

A core-shell nanowire-embedded composite formulation, exhibiting exquisite resistance switching behavior at quite low operating voltage (similar to 0.1 V) and extremely sustained switching behavior even under repeated mechanical deformation, has been developed for the application of a non-volatile memory device. This structure is based on a simple spin-tasted composite comprising a stochastic distribution of Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires deploying resistance switching behavior, and poly( vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a dielectric matrix. The Ag/TiO2 core-shell architecture of the one-dimensional (1D) resistance switching fillers (RSFs) and their distribution on a two-dimensional electrode surface were both designed to confine the electric field to the contact points between the RSFs and electrodes, imparting facile filamentary conduction in a highly confined region. These structural features render the switching behavior highly sustainable against mechanical stress and electrical noise; consequently, a notable switching operation, including a quite narrow variation of switching parameters, and very low operating voltages (V-set similar to 0.098 +/- 0.011 V, and V-reset similar to -0.102 +/- 0.013 V) were all successfully obtained for up to similar to 50,000 mechanical deformation cycles. The resistance switching memory employing the core-shell nanowire-embedded composite formulation is highly promising for applications in which mechanical resilience, transparency, device lifetime, and power conservation are crucial, such as wearable electronics. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.